Section: US & Canada

Washington (AFP) – The Orbital Sciences rocket that exploded after launch was powered by a pair of rocket engines that were made during the Soviet era and refurbished, experts said.The Ukrainian-designed AJ-26 engines date back to the 1960s and 1970s, and Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, California has a stockpile that it refurbishes for...

The federal government held on to more than $7 billion in approved spending last fiscal year at the same time as some departments and agencies struggled with a lack of funds – bringing total “lapsed” spending to more than $18 billion over the last two years. The Conservative government continues to sit on billions of dollars in planned spending...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned an election being organized by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, saying the vote would violate the country’s constitution. The November 2 vote would be being held in defiance of Ukrainian national elections last Sunday in which pro-Western parties, dedicated to holding the...

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO on Wednesday reported an “unusual” spike in Russian military flights over the Black, Baltic and North seas and the Atlantic Ocean during the past two days. Alliance military spokesman Lt. Col. Jay Janzen that four groups made up of Tu-95 Bear H strategic bombers, MiG-31 fighters and other Russian warplanes had been conducting...

The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic visits towns in Ukraine’s East ahead of a November 2 vote in rebel-controlled areas. Alexander Zakharchenko has big ambitions. …read more Source: The Boston...

Russia on Wednesday angrily dismissed the EU’s warning that it wouldn’t recognize local elections organized by pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine, saying that the rejection of the vote could derail a fragile cease-fire deal. …read more Source: CTV...

NATO says it has detected “unusual” activity in European airspace in the past two days. Speaking in Brussels Wednesday, a NATO military spokesman said that four groups of Russian warplanes, including Tu-95 strategic bombers and MiG-31 jets, have been “conducting significant military maneuvers” over the Baltic Sea, North Sea and the...

After inconclusive talks last week, the negotiations between the energy chiefs of the two nations were seen as a last-ditch attempt to stave off another crisis that could leave Ukraine without sufficient heating in the dead of winter. Late Wednesday, an EU statement said a press conference to announce the results of the meeting was canceled and...

Russia has angrily dismissed the EU’s warning that it wouldn’t recognize local elections organized by pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine, warning that the rejection of the vote could derail a fragile cease-fire deal. …read more Source: FOX...